New Study Reaffirms Link between Diabetes Drug Actos and Bladder Cancer

 According to another recently released study, prolonged use of the diabetes drug Actos can increase the risk of bladder cancer. A group of Canadian researchers studied the effects of the drug on about 115,000 British patients and found that if the patient had taken Actos for two years or longer, their risk of contracting bladder cancer nearly doubled.

 This is not the first time that Actos and bladder cancer have been linked. Last year, the media made public the connection between the two, but the drug company, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, continued to market the product. Authorities from the FDA and its British counterpart discovered the risk, but did not mandate that the product be pulled from store shelves. However, when the warnings were made public, the drug company took a major hit as sales dropped significantly.

 Dominique Hillaire-Buys and Jean Luc Faillie, both from the Department of Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology in France wrote an editorial accompanying the Canadian study and said that this new research should prompt authorities and medical professionals to question the future use of Actos, specifically, “Prescribers who are ultimately responsible for therapeutic choices can legitimately question whether the benefit-risk ratio of pioglitazone [Actos] is still acceptable for their patients with diabetes.”

 The company that makes Actos, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, stands by the drug and its ability to treat the effects of Type 2 Diabetes. It says that it is continuing to monitor Actos’ safety and the safety of its other drugs, but these new developments could be enough to discontinue selling the product. Actos’ patents are set to expire soon and with the recent negative media attention, Takeda is now facing significant competition from generic companies.

 Given the recent study linking Actos to bladder cancer, its questionable why the drug is still being marketed to patients. Attorneys at Pope, McGlamry, Kilpatrick, Morrison & Norwood, P.C. are currently taking and filing cases against manufactures to hold them liable for distributing defective products. If you or a loved one has suffered from bladder cancer and you think that it is because he or she was prescribed Actos, contact our Georgia product liability litigation attorneys today and schedule a free consultation.

Source: “Study details cancer risk of Takeda diabetes pill,” published at Reuters.com.

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